srdf

name

srdf

description

MoveIt2 SRDF generation, validation, and planning-semantics workflow. Use when creating, editing, regenerating, inspecting, or validating `.srdf` files, `gen_srdf()` sources, MoveIt planning groups, virtual joints, passive joints, end effectors, group states, disabled collisions, URDF-linked planning semantics, or SRDF handoff to CAD Explorer review. Use the URDF skill for robot structure, the SDF skill for simulator descriptions, and the render skill for rendering, Explorer links, and optional MoveIt2 controls.

SRDF

Use this skill for MoveIt semantic robot descriptions on top of an existing valid URDF. SRDF defines planning semantics; it does not define physical robot structure.

SRDF correctness is a planning semantics problem. The common failure is not invalid XML; it is a plausible SRDF that gives MoveIt the wrong planning group, wrong tool link, wrong default state, unsafe disabled-collision matrix, or wrong joint units. Because language models are weak at spatial and kinematic reasoning, derive planning groups, end effectors, group states, and disabled collisions from the URDF topology, MoveIt Setup Assistant output, sampled collision analysis, or explicit user data. Do not infer them from visual appearance alone.

Format boundary

• URDF owns physical robot structure: links, joints, geometry, inertials, limits, mimic joints, transmissions, and robot-state publishing.
• SRDF owns MoveIt semantics: virtual joints, passive joints, planning groups, group states, end effectors, and disabled collision pairs.
• SDF owns simulator/world semantics: physics, sensors, lights, plugins, worlds, and simulation-specific metadata.

Do not place geometry, inertials, joint origins, link poses, mesh references, physical joint limits, transmissions, or ros2_control interfaces in SRDF.

After creating or modifying generated .srdf files, hand the explicit output path to $render when that skill is available; $render checks/reuses a live viewer and returns a link. If the user needs interactive IK or path-planning controls, make that part of the $render handoff; CAD Explorer owns the local moveit2_server setup and runtime.

Required workflow

1. Start from a valid URDF. Generate or fix the URDF first. The SRDF generator validates against the source-relative .urdf path supplied by gen_srdf().
2. Identify the planning task. Record whether the goal is arm IK, gripper control, mobile base planning, dual-arm planning, tool use, or local smoke testing.
3. Create or update the planning ledger. Use references/planning-ledger.md before writing XML.
4. Define virtual and passive joints deliberately. Use them when needed by the robot model, even though the current lightweight runtime does not fully inventory them yet.
5. Define planning groups from URDF topology. Prefer chain groups for serial manipulators when base/tip form a real path. Use joint/link/subgroup definitions only when they are deliberate.
6. Define end effectors after group membership is known. Avoid overlap between an end-effector group and its parent group. Record the actual target/TCP link.
7. Define group states in URDF-native units. Revolute and continuous values are radians; prismatic values are meters. Do not store degrees in SRDF.
8. Generate disabled collisions from evidence. Use adjacency, MoveIt Setup Assistant sampling, or explicit user-provided collision matrices. Do not invent broad disable lists.
9. Regenerate only explicit SRDF targets. Generation validates the generated SRDF against the linked URDF before writing.
10. Run MoveIt smoke tests when available. Use MoveIt Setup Assistant or a project MoveIt launch directly. For local Explorer-based IK/path planning, hand the SRDF to $render; it owns moveit2_server startup and URL wiring.
11. Hand off generated artifacts for review. After creating or modifying generated .srdf files, pass the explicit file path to $render for live viewer links when available.
12. Use snapshots for visual feedback. Prefer $render snapshots over opening the viewer manually or using Playwright. Use still snapshots only; SRDF review should not generate GIFs.
13. Report assumptions and skipped checks. Include incomplete validation, missing MoveIt environment, skipped $render handoff/viewer checks, manually reasoned collision disables, and inferred target links.

Commands

From this skill directory, the SRDF launcher shape is:

python scripts/srdf path/to/source.py
python scripts/srdf path/to/source.py -o path/to/robot.srdf
python scripts/srdf path/to/a.py=out/a.srdf path/to/b.py=out/b.srdf

Relative source targets and CLI output overrides are resolved from the current working directory. When running from outside this skill directory, prefix the launcher path so target files still resolve from the intended workspace.

For GUI/rendering review, do not start Explorer from this skill. Hand generated or modified .srdf files to $render with explicit paths; $render owns viewer liveness checks and links. Request optional MoveIt2 controls only when the user needs IK or path-planning review; $render owns the server commands and environment guidance.

Hard rules

• SRDF must reference an existing valid URDF.
• The SRDF robot name must match the URDF robot name.
• Group states use URDF-native units: radians for revolute/continuous, meters for prismatic.
• Disabled collision pairs require truthful reasons and provenance.
• End-effector groups should not share links with their parent planning group.
• $render owns CAD Explorer links and the local moveit2_server; SRDF should hand off explicit generated/modified .srdf paths rather than starting GUI services itself.
• CAD Explorer or visual rendering review is useful but cannot prove planning correctness.

References

• Generation command: references/gen-srdf.md
• Generator contract: references/generator-contract.md
• SRDF workflow: references/srdf-workflow.md
• Planning ledger: references/planning-ledger.md
• Validation scope: references/validation.md
• End effectors: references/end-effectors.md
• Disabled collisions: references/disabled-collisions.md
• Runtime notes and current limitations: references/implementation-notes.md

For CAD Explorer links or local MoveIt2 controls, use $render; in that skill, read references/moveit2-server.md.